ASM18 Review and Spoilers: At BENded Knee to the King

[Pav]

Hello again to all Ben-izens of the One, True, Sensational Spider-Man Fan Club! We fiind ourselves with another new issue of Dark Web, featuring Ben's villainous turn as Chasm. I can tell you: having stayed away from any spoilers, but still seeing some of the comments ABOUT those spoilers on these boards, I went into this issue with some serious trepidation.

But I've read it now, and I gotta say: I find it pretty inoffensive -- because, honestly: what even is this?

Let's take a walk through it.

1) We start off with Madelyne Pryor having decided to team-up with the X-Men, which happened over in the X-issues which has really been the only consistently enjoyable part of this story. She tells the X-Men she's going to clean up her mess, and that means informing Ben and Janine that the demon invasion of NYC is over.

2) Having been informed that JEAN GREY GAVE MADDIE THE MEMORIES SHE WANTED, Ben decides not to intelligently ask FOR THE SAME HELP TO SOLVE HIS ESSENTIALLY SAME PROBLEM and instead storms off like a petulant child who has been bathed in psycho-reactive quantum polymers. We do get a decent line about the "betrayal" just feeling like "home" to Ben but then, we've already had a story where Ben (as the Jackal) has been reduced to and motivated by only his most painful memories -- so it's like, is this the House of Ideas, or the House of One Idea?

3) Next, we move to Peter dealing with Rek-Rap the Bizarnage Demon Spider-Man. The weird verbiage from last issue continues with Spidey and Rek-Rap "web-wanging" the Insidious Six, with Orb Ock proclaiming, "No one web-wangs the Insidious Six!" I chuckledwhile shaking my head. The fight is full of one goofy moment after the next...

4) And then TONE SHIFT because now we're back to Maddie and Janine, waxing poetic about heads and crowns. Maddie tells Janine that she believes in her, and that whatever she chooses to do next "will be mighty and terrifying." And it's here that we get maybe the only good moment of the issue, because it's a legitimate swerve that I didn't see coming: Janine, using her Frankenstein strength powers, attacks Maddie, pushes her off the balcony, and steals her magic scythe -- the key to ruling Limbo!

PAUSE: If this run has done anything good for the characters of Ben and Janine, I'll admit that I like the "ride or die together" commitment that the two have generally displayed for each other, even back into Beyond. While the modern Janine isn't written exactly as she was under the pen of JMD, I do like that their love for each other has made it into the modern era. That being said, it's unfortunate that Janine is no longer the level-headed lover of Ben that she has been in past issues. You'd think she, of all people, would ask Maddie to continue helping them rather than betray her for more power, like a petulant child that had the finger of a demon magically inserted into her person.

5) Elsewhere, it's a "bad time to be a giant face," because Spidey and Rek-Rap have teamed-up even though Marvel has no room another Spider-Man and are kicking butt, helping themselves, Jonah, and Robbie get to the NYC portal -- and every character is portrayed more cartoonishly than Dan Slott ever did. It's so silly!

6) And then TONE SHIFT: we're back with Janine and Ben, who provides the only legitimate moment of pathos in the issue with his confession that he was about to beg Peter to help him. But, without Maddie, Ben's plan will no longer work. Fortunately, Janine has the answer: handing Ben the scythe and leadership of Limbo. With a touch, Ben transforms into the giant KING CHASM, who looks NOT COOL AT ALL.

7) Finally, we're back with Peter and his ragtag team of escapees who are still dealing with the Insidious Six in their way of getting to NYC, but the appearance of KING CHASM and Hallows' Eve stops everyone dead in their tracks. Both Peter and Rek-Rap attack KING CHASM, but they're both swatted away like bugs. He teleports himself and Janine and the demon army to NYC with a promise that he'll "never stop."

8) But don't worry about that serious moment because we then get the silliness of Peter, on the ground, asking Jonah and Robbie if the bad guys have left. Peter gets up and Maddie asks if he'll join "us" -- with the issue ending on the group of Spider-Man, Rek-Rap, Jonah, Robbie, Maddie, Jean, Cyclops, Iceman, Forge, and... wait... is that Ben Urich? Has he been down here the whole time?

So, yeah. That's the issue.

I'm not worried about King Chasm being a thing for more than another issue, honestly. I don't think the answer to, "What do we do with Ben Reilly?" is "Make him the ruler of a hell-dimension that rarely factors into the stories of Spider-Man comics." I imagine our heroes will somehow defeat him, with he and Janine remaining in their villainous roles. I know people have speculated that something must happen to Ben considering Janine's upcoming solo miniseries, but I don't think that's necessarily true; it certainly could be the case, but it could also be the case that Ben merely plays a supporting role in her miniseries. That being said, I wouldn't be shocked if Ben somehow gets lost between dimensions or something like that. It'll certainly be interesting to see where the characters end up at the end of this story. Frankly, at this point, I'd kill for an ending that provided some hope of brotherly reconnection between Peter and Ben, and my hope is that the always-intelligent Jean Grey will JUST FIX BEN.

Someone get Chris Cantwell on the Spidey books.

-Pav, who just can't stop shaking his head in good-humored disbelief at this ridiculous story...

[Malachi]

I just laughed at this whole mess of a comic, It's just so bad that it's hard to do anything else. Who could have guessed at the start of Beyond that it would lead to this? I sure couldn't.

It's hard for me to get angry of the way they are using Ben as they aren't really using him at all. He lacks agency and flipflops all the time, seemingly waiting for others to point him in a general direction. It's harsher for Janine. The same Janine who for some reason is getting a mini, my prediciton is that it will not sell well. Janine comes off as a full fledging villain, her demonic finger is not doing her any favors. The fankenstein mask looked goofy and stupid. Maddie must have wanted to give her the scythe because anything else then that just makes her as formidable as a large pillow. I was going to say brick first but then I remembered that awful part of OMD or OMIT with a brick. Surely a brick must be somewhere in Spider-mans top 10 rogue gallery.

I am still wondering what the point of all of this is? Why Ben became chasm? It's getting increasingly clear that I won't get any answer from these comics though.

[Aura Blaize]

my hope is that the always-intelligent Jean Grey will JUST FIX BEN.

This is what should have happened on the first page of this issue. I'm sorry, it just....the PIS is so unbearable at this point. The only good thing out of this is, like you said, Ben and Janine's ride or die relationship. She will/has gone through hell to support Ben. I LOVE that. The rest...not so much.

Someone get Chris Cantwell on the Spidey books.

YES. PLEASE. Gold Goblin has been surprisingly good. I would be quite happy with that decision!

[CrimsonEchidna]

Throughout the Beyond storyline I kept routinely posting "Where's Kaine" because you figured in a pseudo-sequel to the Clone Saga, Kaine Parker would have a role in it. Never have I ever believed like I do now that a character really dodged a bullet by being stuck in limbo.

And I don't say this as a jab at Ben Reilly fans either but truly nothing good has come of the poor dude getting resurrected at this point.

[Aura Blaize]

Throughout the Beyond storyline I kept routinely posting "Where's Kaine" because you figured in a pseudo-sequel to the Clone Saga, Kaine Parker would have a role in it. Never have I ever believed like I do now that a character really dodged a bullet by being stuck in limbo.

And I don't say this as a jab at Ben Reilly fans either but truly nothing good has come of the poor dude getting resurrected at this point.

That Scarlet Spider series we got out of it with Ben and Kaine was pretty good, minus the ending. We got a few issues of Ben being Spider-Man again......
.....but yeah, aside from that little bit, they might as well kept him dead at this point.

[Huntsman Spider]

Having read this myself, generally cosigning all of you here so far. It's like Zeb Wells on Amazing Spider-Man and Gerry Duggan on X-Men are on two different wavelengths when it comes to this misbegotten saga, with Duggan doing more to emphasize the tragedy, horror, and pathos of Madelyne Pryor, as opposed to Wells turning Ben's (and Janine's) own tragedies and horrors that they've endured into a sick farce. And yeah, for me, it'd have worked a lot (or at least a little) better if Madelyne had told Chasm that they could still find Peter and use her telepathy to share his memories and restore Ben's sense of self like Jean Grey did for her, only for Chasm to refuse and seize power in Limbo out of spite for a world that rejected him as subhuman and unworthy of life or love or happiness just because he was a clone of someone else.

[boots]

But I've read it now, and I gotta say: I find it pretty inoffensive -- because, honestly: what even is this?

i genuinely wonder who the target demographic is.

[Kurolegacy]

i genuinely wonder who the target demographic is.

Themselves I’d say. Because I can’t think of who else would be enjoying this mess.

[Crazyspideyfan]

Love the art and as much more of a Peter fan I enjoyed, but I do feel bad for Ben fans

[Matt Rat]

Love the art and as much more of a Peter fan I enjoyed, but I do feel bad for Ben fans

Even if you're a Peter fan, this book is ass.

[Alex_Of_X]

i genuinely wonder who the target demographic is.

It's me. Hi. I'm the target, it's me.

I won't pretend to have some amazing insight into the issue, like that it's actually the great American novel, cause it isn't: it's a goofy goof-fest with hungry strollers and magic apples. Honestly, something very Kingdom Hearts about it.

Ben's not having a great time, though. I'm rooting for him to see at least a glimpse of light. I've a theory I wanna save for the omega issue preview, but if I'm right, this might turn out to be the Spider-manniest story ever

[exile001]

I won't pretend to have some amazing insight into the issue, like that it's actually the great American novel, cause it isn't: it's a goofy goof-fest with hungry strollers and magic apples. Honestly, something very Kingdom Hearts about it.

I'm not enjoying this run, but I absolutely understand your sentiment. I feel exactly the same about the 90's Clone Saga.

Like, I get every single complaint people have about it being a complete dumpster fire, but I don't care as here comes yet another clone and I am loving every nonsensical page of it!

Over time, sentiment towards the Clone Saga has definitely changed from it being vilified as the worst of Spider-man excesses to a flawed but ultimately fun diversion.

I wonder if, a few years removed, this will be looked upon more fondly as a mindless fun adventure.

[Matt Rat]

I wonder if, a few years removed, this will be looked upon more fondly as a mindless fun adventure.

We are now several years removed from a lot of post-OMD material and people still aren't 100% sure there's anything of note worth remembering from it other than Superior Spider-Man, which involved a different Spider-Man replacing the current one.

This isn't Mark of Kaine/Maximum Clonage levels of stupid, but it is also not what it was promised and promoted to be.

Clone Saga at the very least led to a great alternative like Spider-Girl. Slott's run at the very least gave us a great alternative like Renew Your Vows. What alternatives are we getting with Wells? Lost Hunt and Ben Reilly: Spider-Man are core continuity, but take place during the time of the clone saga, there's nothing contemporary for Peter or Ben fans to latch onto, AU or otherwise.

[Triniking1234]

Hallow's Eve beats Maddie by pushing her off a balcony like if it's a telenovela.

I did like the parts where Cyclops sees Re Krap and Spidey just tells him to ignore it.

But yeah, bad event. I called that they were going to stick all this crap on Ben once I saw the leaks for Dark Web X-Men.

[Alex_Of_X]

We are now several years removed from a lot of post-OMD material and people still aren't 100% sure there's anything of note worth remembering from it other than Superior Spider-Man, which involved a different Spider-Man replacing the current one.

This isn't Mark of Kaine/Maximum Clonage levels of stupid, but it is also not what it was promised and promoted to be.

Clone Saga at the very least led to a great alternative like Spider-Girl. Slott's run at the very least gave us a great alternative like Renew Your Vows. What alternatives are we getting with Wells? Lost Hunt and Ben Reilly: Spider-Man are core continuity, but take place during the time of the clone saga, there's nothing contemporary for Peter or Ben fans to latch onto, AU or otherwise.

Hell yea, man. Here's hoping!

I love the schlocky fun of Maximum Carnage. Every time I do a reread, I expect to grow out of it and lose my patience, but so far so good!

The heart likes what it likes